Cadre Of Foreign Bodyguards YKTTW Discussion

A character of great power or wealth has their importance underscored by having a cadre of bodyguards from a foreign land. These guards will be elite, disciplined, faintly exotic and extremely competent.

In fiction, this is usually reserved for villains. The Evil Overlord, Evil Chancellor, Evil Prince and President Evil all need foreigners to protect them because it's hard to trust your citizenry when you spend most of your day exploiting and oppressing them. Don't be surprised if they are commanded by The Dragon.

The body guards for the Hereditary President of the Peoples' Republic of Haven are all from Neo Geneva.

Honor's armsmen hail from Grayson, prompting some ruffled feathers when she has to take armed foreign nationals onto Her Majesty's warships. Though this is technically an aversion, because Honor has dual Manticoran and Grayson citizenship (and titles).

Artemis Fowl: the Irish hero is guarded by the Butler family, of Caucasian (eastern European) descent.

Traveller Classic, Book 4 Mercenary. One of the mercenary tickets (scenarios) was to act as bodyguards to the leaders of the planet Jokotre while they made a pilgrimage to the shrines in the holy lands.

Possibly the Western Trope Codifier: The Swiss Guards which protect the Pope. The silly pants may make them seem a little like Bunny Ears Lawyers, but they were a terror on the battlefield in the late 1400s to early 1500s, and retain their tradition faithfully.

The Varangian Guard predate the Swiss Guards by centuries, though they are less well known today.

The Eastern Trope Codifier? The Circassian Guard which protects the King of Jordan.

The Roman emperors had the Equites singulares Augusti, a cavalary suplement to the Praetorian Guard infantry. It was primary composed of provincials who were not Roman citizens or Italians, particularly those from Batavi Germanic tribe.

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